Car-seat



0. BEGGS. Car Seat.

' Patented July 13, I880.

N.FETER8, PHOTU-LITHOGRAPKER. WASHXNG'ION, O. C.

UNITED TATES W CHRISTINA BEGGS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA,

CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,944, dated July 13,- 1880. Application filed February 26, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTINA BEGGS, of Allegheny city, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Car Seats and Rests; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im proved car-seat. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detached view of part of the limb-support.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My invention relates to the seats used in the passenger-cars of railroads for day-traveling. Its particular purpose is to adapt the reversible seats (or seats arranged to be reversed so as to face in the direction in which the car is traveling) as reclining-seats for sleeping and resting purposes.

It consists, first, in a certain arrangement of the rods or levers attaching the seat-back to the arms thereof, whereby the seat may be secured either in an upright or reclining position when facing in either direction; second, in providing the seatback with a removable head-rest which is adapted to slide along the top of the seat to suit the comfort of the user; third, in removable limb supports extending fro: =1 the car-seat to the foot-rest under the adjacent seat; and, finally, in details of construction hereinafter set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, A is the floor of the passenger-car, and B is the side wall, which are of the usual construction. 0 O are the side supports and arms, and D the seat-frame, of the usual car-seat, the outer support and arm, O, being secured to the car-floor A, and the inner arm to the side wall, B, and the seatframe or cross-bars D extending between them.

E is the usual cushioned car-seat, which is supported on the frame D and secured thereto in any convenient manner, and F is the seat-back, formed and cushioned in the usual manner.

On the inner side of each arm 0 G is the bracket 0, which bracket is arranged in the center of the arm near the top, and extends out a sufficient distance to permit the rod or bar g to move easily within it, the ends of the bracket limiting the motion of the bar.

The bar g is pivoted to the center of the arm at a point below the bracket and about opposite the seat, and extends a short distance above the bracket, which holds it against the arm E and guides its motion, as hereinafter described.

Pivoted to the top of the bars 9 are the rods h, which are pivoted to the center of the seatback F, or the short arms f, extending out there from at i.

On the inner side of the uprights d at of the chair, near the top, are the stationary lips 70, within which the rods it rest, and at certain points on the rods 7t are the lugs l, one on the top and one on the bottom of the rod, opposite each other, which lugs catch against the lips 70 when the back is to be secured in the usual upright position, and prevent the rods from slippin g farther down along the lips 70. When, however, it is desired to place the back F in an inclined or reclining position, the lugs l are lifted past the lips and the rods it slip along the lips until the bars g, moving within the brackets 70, come against the ends thereof, which thereby limit the motion of the rod hand bear any weight against the back. As the back F is pivoted to the rod h, it naturally assumes an inclined position and forms the reclining-back. As the rods h are pivoted in the center of the ends of the back and are provided with lugs on both sides, the back can be reversed and secured in either an upright or inclined position, as above set forth, on either side of the car-seat, the rods h swinging on the bars 9 and catching on the lips 70 on the opposite uprights.

Extending along the top and bottom edges of the back F arethe slotted rods m, formed of metal, the lips or edges of which extend over and hold within the slots one or more. slides, n, in such manner that the slides can be moved from one end of the slot to the other. In the center of these slides a are formed tapped or threaded holes, into which are screwed the head-rests P. These head-rests P are cushioned, and are preferably made hollow to give a softer and a more comfortable support for the head, and are provided at the base with tapped rods 19, which screw into the tapped holes in the slides a. The head-rests P can thus be slid to any desired part of the chair and turned to any desired angle to suit the convenience of the user. When the seat is to be reversed the head-rests are unscrewed, and after the reversal of the seat screwed into slides in the other slotted rod, which is then turned to the top of the back.

The head-rests P maybe secured to the slides a by other means than screwing, and may also be capable ofrevolution on the stem fitting into the slide, independently of the screw.

Extending along both sides of the car-seat E are the plates e, and at suitable distances in the plates are formed the transverse slots ,q. Underneath each seat are the usual stationary foot-rests B, one facing in each direction, to suit the user on the reversal of the seat. The surfaces of the foot-rests are inclined, and at suitable intervals on said surface are the transverse slots r, extending through the seat, the position of the slots on the foot-rests corresponding to those 011 the sides of the seat. If the seat is double, there are four slots on both the foot-rests and seatsides, to accommodate two limb-supports, S, as hereinafter set forth, one for each seat. The limb-supports S are formed of two side rods, 8, and a cover, '0, of canvas, carpet, or other fabric, attached to the side rods and stretched between them. At the upper ends of the side rods are the flattened lugs or pro- 0 jections t, fitting and resting in the transverse slots g on the side of the seat, and at the base of said rods are the flattened lugs t, fitting and resting in the slots 1 on the foot-rest under the adjacent seat,- the limb-support S being thus secured in an inclined position between the seat and'foot-rest. It may, in some cases, be necessary to bend the side rods, so as to support the canvas or carpets stretched between them on a line with the seat.

Underneath the car-seat, and between the foot-rests R, is formed the rack U, for the reception of the limb-supports when not in use. It is formed of two or more bands, u, the ends of which are attached to the upper ends of the foot-rests and extend down between them, forming the hollow rack U. The limb-support is removed by simply lifting the lugs t t out of the slots q a", when it can be rolled up and placed in the rack U under the seat, being entirely out of the way.

When in use my invention operates in the following manner: When it is desired to arrange the seats for day-traveling the back is swung so that the lugs l on the pivotal rods h catch against the lips k on the arm-frame and hold the back in an upright position. The head-rest P may either be secured to the sides a and used by the traveler, or be removed and placed in the rack U under the seat. When the seat is to be reversed the head-rests P are first removed, the back swung over on the pivotal rods 9 h, in the usual manner, the lugs l on the other side of the bar catching in the lips 7c on the other side of the arm and securing it in the usual upright position, and the head-rests secured on the side of the back which is turned uppermost. When the seat is to be arranged as a reclining-seat for sleeping or resting the back F is raised slightly until the lugs l pass the lips 70, when the rods It will slide along said lips until the bars g, coming against the ends of the brackets 0, limit the motion of the bar, and the back will naturally move on its pivot t and assume the reclining position. The limb supports are then removed from the racks U and secured in place by means of the flattened lugs tt, fitting and resting in the transverse slots in the seat-side and foot-rest, forming an inclined support, which, being made of a yielding material, will accommodate itself to the position of the user and form an exceedingly comfortable rest or support for the limbs.

The head-rest P can he slid along the top of the reclining-back and turned so as to suit the comfort of the traveler, and the whole seat, as above arranged, will give an exceedin gly restful and comfortable position in which to travel, and one which is preferred by many to the sleeping-cars so largely in use.

The seat can be arranged for night-traveling in a few minutes, with very little trouble and by any ordinary traveler, without the aid of an employ of the road. It can be re placed in its ordinary upright position for day-traveling in as short a time and with as little trouble, and the parts take up no more room than the ordinary seats of a day-car.-

The inclination at which the back is to be placed can be determined by the length of the rods g and h or brackets c, and where there is sufficient room in the car it can be arranged to extend back from the seat almost horizontally. The foot-rest can also be made to slide in guides to be raised nearer the height of the seat, and thus raise the position of the limbsupport. In the ordinary day-coach, however, there is not room for arranging the seat in this way.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In reversible car-seats, the combination, with the back F and arms O, having the lips It, of the bars g and rods h, pivoted together and to the arms and back, respectively, and the brackets c, rigidly attached to the arms 0, for limiting the motion of the bars 9, substantially as set forth.

2. In reversible car-seats, the combination of the back F, the arms 0, having the brackets c and lips 70, the pivoted rod h, having the lugs Z, and the pivoted bar 9, substantially as secured to the cover a, and provided with the and for the purposes set forth. lugs t t, for fitting into said slots, substan- 3. In combination with the seat-back F, the tially as and for the purposes set forth. slotted rod m, the slide n, and removable head- In testimony whereof I, the said CHRISTINA 5 rest P, substantially as and for the purposes BEGGs, have hereunto set my hand.

set forth.

4. In combination with the seat E, having CHRISTINA BEGGS' the transverse slots q, and the foot-rest R, Witnesses: having the transverse slots 1", the removable JAMES I. KAY, IO limb-supports S, formed of the side rods, 8, E. W; LYON. 

